FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — A Forsyth County man pleaded guilty to the death of his 2-month-old son Friday, according to the Forsyth County District Attorney's (DA) office.
On Dec. 15, Brandon McDaniel pled guilty to second-degree murder and felonious child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury for the death of his 2-month-old son in January 2020. He was sentenced 12-15 years.
On January 12, 2020, deputies responded to the fire station on Peace Haven Road in Clemmons around 10:30 p.m. and found fire crews performing CPR on an infant identified as 2-month-old Sloan McDaniel.
Investigation reveals that the baby was spending the weekend with his father, Brandon McDaniel, while his mom was out of town.
McDaniel claimed the baby was unusually fussy and woke up crying. He admitted that he had picked up the baby shaken him out of frustration, and then dropped him on his head on the changing table.
McDaniel's father came into the room and noticed the baby didn't look right and took the baby and McDaniel to the nearest fire station for help.
EMS took the baby to the nearest hospital where he regained a pulse but was found to have subdural hemorrhaging and severe swelling of his brain, as well as being positive for the flu, according to the DA's office.
The baby's condition worsened because of the catastrophic injuries. The medical determined that the baby would not regain consciousness or breathe independently without a ventilator.
Ultimately, the family made the decision to withdraw care and the baby died four days later.
According to an autopsy, the cause of the baby's death was multiple blunt force injuries to his head, primarily to the top of his head, with bleeding and severe swelling of his brain. He was also suffering from pneumonia at the time of his death.
The state urged the judge to consider sentencing McDaniel to the maximum penalty under the law for his crimes, a term of 240 months minimum, 300 months maximum in the state department of corrections.
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